


Deleted Scenes

by missanonyma



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Deleted Scenes, F/M, Lake Michigan, Missing Moments, Varchie!Centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:55:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26756884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missanonyma/pseuds/missanonyma
Summary: Deleted scenes from Lake Michigan by @andsmile
Relationships: (minor) Veronica Lodge/Reggie Mantle, (past) Archie Andrews/Geraldine Grundy, Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Dilton Doiley/Nancy Woods
Comments: 26
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 38 - The Double Date

**Author's Note:**

  * For [andsmile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/andsmile/gifts).



She’s not sure why she’s so nervous. Archie’s made her feel so comfortable the past few days, including her in everything and checking to make sure she needs anything at all. Not to mention the countless new experiences he’s given her during her visit. From the not so innocent to the nostalgic, this might just be the best week of her life.

“Okay, hold on tight,” he warns before pushing them off the snowy slope. She squeals, gripping Archie’s arms while he steers the sled. In the seconds they’re speeding down the hill, all she can see is glimmering snow and all she can hear is Archie’s laugh. It’s perfection.

She finds it all very comforting. Even when it wasn’t really, her relationship with Archie has always been the most grounding thing in her life.

And yet another first he’s giving her is her first double date.

She and Reggie had some dates, but it was never like how it is with Archie. She and Reggie went clubbing a lot, they had a lot of fun together. Late nights on the streets of Chicago, drunk laughing and pressing each other up against walls. 

But with Archie it’s all romance and comfort; Hand holding, bodies covered in kisses, and secrets only the other would understand. She likes the person she’s become this year, she likes how she is when they’re together.

“You’re supposed to wait for me to open the door for you,” he says when he comes around her to the other side of the truck and she’s already stepped out. “It’s like date night 101.”

All she does is laugh and wink at him, kissing his adorable pout before pulling him inside the diner. She loves the vibe of Pop’s, its red glow is electric and she notices how nostalgic Archie seems when he’s here. It’s very vintage Americana, just like him.

Dilton and Nancy are already in a booth when they walk in, it’s adorable how awkward and excited they look just to be holding hands and sitting beside one another. 

Veronica’s honestly a bit surprised at how well she and Archie’s friends get along. She doesn’t know why but she had some preconceived notion everyone in Riverdale would be so different from her, it doesn’t make sense considering Archie’s from here and they get along very well.

She can’t stop smiling when she sits beside him in the booth, leaning back on him slightly. She’s happy she can do this in public, that if she wanted to she could kiss him in front of all of these people. It feels good.

She ordered another one of those double chocolate milkshakes Pop Tate made her the other night, it was easily the most delicious thing she’s ever tasted.

While they wait for their food she and Dilton have a rigorous debate about which installment of A Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy is best. She definitely just outed herself as a geek to her boyfriend but over her dead body was she going to let Dilton say complete BS and get away with it.

“So, Nancy, I hope I’m not prying too much but Archie says you two used to date?” Veronica smirks, glancing over to see how nervous she just made Archie who only tightens his arm around her waist.

Nancy laughs, “More of a fling-” 

“For like two months back when Nancy gave acne covered, Axe body spray smelling Archie a chance,” Dilton sniggers. “Then she dumped him.”

Archie’s ears turn red like how they do when he’s embarrassed. She’s not sure why anyone in their right mind would break up with Archie but first relationships are usually always short lived, Archie simply responds to Dilton with, “Oh please, at least I had enough hormones to get acne, Mr. ‘Late Bloomer’.”

She’s adding pre-teen Archie to the list of ages she wants Fred to show her photos of, he said he’d bring out the photo albums tomorrow while Archie’s walking Vegas.

Overall, the best part of the night for her was honestly Dilton. He’s either way too smitten with Nancy or just really oblivious to social norms, that he treats her like every other girl. She’s not the apple of his eye so he’s not treating her like some pretty popular girl, in his eyes she’s average and she honestly loves that. It’s very refreshing.

“So Veronica, do you have many friends in Chicago? Or are you more of the shy loner type like Archie?” Dilton asks. Nancy and Archie both look at him like he’s stupid but Veronica just smiles and nods her shakes her head.

“I’ve got all the friends I need,” she says, hiding her amused smile. Archie chuckles, smoothing his thumb across Veronica’s knuckles soothingly.

At the end of the night, she hugs Nancy goodbye and waves to Dilton. Archie beats her to the car door this time and he holds it with a victorious smile on his adorable face.

They’re about a block from the house when he stops in the middle of the street, which isn’t a real issue because it’s late at night, but nonetheless it’s odd.

“What are you doing?” she raises an eyebrow and turns to him.

“I was wondering if you’d wanna spend the night somewhere else tonight.”

“And where would that be?”

“Well, it’s not as fancy as the suite you got us, but I scraped together enough cash to get us a little room for the night at the Five Season’s if you're interested,” he blushes, ears turning strawberry red as he quickly diverts his gaze to his lap. 

She unbuckles her seatbelt and slides across the seat, pressing a warm kiss to the hinge of his jaw. It’s enough of a confirmation for him to drive right past Elm Street.


	2. Chapter 15 - Jealousy

It’s not his place to be jealous. God, he’s so jealous he can’t even deny to himself that he is.

Reggie slept in her bed last night, he brought her flowers. She explained the whole situation of him trying to apologize to her about the flyer and how he insisted he didn’t do it, then she took pity on him when he had an allergic reaction to the flowers.

It makes him upset that Reggie and Veronica are talking again. Sure they have history but he hurt her so much. He’s heard all about their past; How in love they were, late nights in town, detention for skipping class to hook up. Then how things ended abruptly between them last summer.

It isn’t fair of him to have an opinion, nor is he entitled to one. But the envy he feels at the bottom of his stomach, hearing she’s still allowing him to just walk back into her life and be so close to her…

It makes him think back to the night they first kissed, how he made it to her bedroom then she asked him to leave. Reggie made it all the way to her bed many more times than just last night. And for Archie it’s not just the fact they’ve slept together, it’s the fact  _ he _ can be close to her. Reggie’s allowed to be close to her. 

She makes him so frustrated sometimes, she’s setting herself up for more heartbreak and that’s the last thing he wants for her. And then she comes over to the apartment, sits on his bed, listens to his songs, looks at him like  _ that _ . Like she wants to say something, but won’t. Like she’s feeling the same way he is.

He thinks about the lipstick print she left on her coffee mug, and those glasses. Perched on her perfect nose, he only catches every third word she says because he can’t focus. She’s just  _ so pretty _ .

She makes him laugh too. So much. 

_ “What kind of stuff are you into?” she asks him, running her fingertips against the letters on his wall, lingering on the R.  _

_ His eyebrows raise to his hairline, the back of his neck heating up profusely. He’s hiding a tiny grin and she doesn’t notice how suggestively he took her words until she glances over at him. _

_ “I meant decoration-wise, you perv.” _

He grins to himself, envisioning her picture perfect eye roll. Even when she hit his arm, while scolding him, he could feel the butterflies fluttering faster in his stomach. 

That might make living here the most tolerable, the way her lips curl up like she’s satisfied with his embarrassingly honest laugh. He hasn’t had the chance to do a lot of laughing recently.

And then she says she’s glad he came to Chicago, that he decided to stay. And somehow, just hearing her say that, he would gladly take a hundred more punches if it meant maybe he could kiss her again.

But that won’t happen. Not when Reggie apparently has privileges to her bedroom.

He thinks about her perfume, how her waist feels on his palms, and the sweetness of her mouth more often than Archie would ever admit to anyone. 

But they’re just friends. It’s better this way. For everyone.

He hesitantly picks up his phone, his pulse picking up as he makes his way to his messaging app.

**you rly think i should sing my song at the variety show?** He types, lips pursed and heart racing as it takes less than a minute for bubbles to appear indicating her typing.

**i rly do. and i wasn’t kidding earlier, if u don’t i WILL switch history partners.**

He laughs, replying that he’s grateful to have a critic so terrifyingly good at motivation.

She takes a while to respond to that, bubbles appearing and disappearing.

**exactly. you’re very lucky to have met me, archiekins.**

He knows he is.


	3. Chapter 29 - School Night

Sometimes life is like a movie.

Though still in shock from his girlfriend’s post basketball game surprise (Girlfriend? They haven’t exactly had the conversation yet, at least not really, but he hopes that’s where this is going), he manages to pull himself together to take her out for a quiet dinner.

“How do you even know about this place?” Archie asks, laughing slightly, sliding into a little nook beside her in the far back corner of the restaurant.

It’s a very tiny place, practically the epitome of the phrase ‘hole in the wall’. There’s a couple other people eating, and one girl manning the register while talking from the kitchen can be vaguely heard over the noise of the radio. The faux leather booths are duct taped where holes have formed and the floor tile looks like it’s from the 80’s, but the pizza parlor has a type of charm to it.

“I can’t imagine you ever coming here,” he admits, he was taken aback in the truck when she told him that she knew of a good pizza place near her apartment. He’s only surprised because the restaurants around the Pembrooke typically have five dollar signs next to the name on Yelp. 

“Now, now, Archiekins, I have many sides to me not even you’ve been graced with seeing yet,” she says smoothly. He can’t help the red blush that creeps up his neck at the suggestive tone in her voice, her little smirk doesn’t do anything to help his flusteredness.

“Emphasis on yet,” she leans forward to whisper in his ear just as the waitress sets down the slices they ordered at the counter. 

The waitress - Lana, her name tag says - lays a hand on his forearm when she says, “Enjoy.” in an overly sweet voice. He doesn’t miss the way Veronica scoffs and looks the girl up and down.

“Ronnie-” he starts, prepared to say something after the waitress walks away, but she waves her hand at him.

“No, I understand. I just hope she understands as well when I don’t leave a tip,” she says matter of factly, making Archie nearly choke on his soda in laughter. 

While they eat, he thinks about how different things were just a little while ago. The last time he had dinner after a basketball game was with his parents and Cheryl, oddly enough, back when things were confusing. Things still kind of are confusing, but he’s sure Veronica’s the person he wants.

He’s sure she’s the only person he’d like to eat overly greasy pizza with on a Wednesday night, and have her giggle at him when he has tomato sauce all over his face.

“Matches your hair,” she teases, wiping his face and pecking his lips softly.

His heart sings a little bit on the walk back to the truck, she walks a little bit ahead of him, giving him a nice view of her drowning in his Letterman jacket. She looked so cold in her little cheerleading skirt when they stepped outside he couldn’t stop himself from draping the jacket over her shoulders with a kiss to the tip of her button nose.

He doesn’t think he could get any luckier; Not after how she ambushed him in the locker room then agreed to go to dinner with him, but apparently he could because in the middle of his performance of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark, he’s getting ready to park in front of the Pembrooke when he feels a pair of lips on his neck and a whisper in his ear telling him to park behind the building.

“I.. We have school tomorrow,” he says, goosebumps forming all over his body as her trails all over his neck. 

“It’s 8:30, boy scout. C’mon, unless, that is, you don’t want to…”

His sharp turn into the little street behind the Pembrooke makes her laugh, moving back to her respective seat in the truck. His heart has nearly burst out of his chest by the time he’s parked, turned off the engine, and he’s coaxing his tongue into her mouth, gently pressing her up against the car door.

He loves kissing Veronica. He honestly thinks he could kiss her forever, the little noises she makes and the way her fingers wander everywhere add to the magic. 

He doesn't know how to tell her, but he doesn't really want to have sex in the truck. It reminds him too much of Riverdale and Geraldine, and all the things he's been trying to come to terms lately.

But Veronica's mouth is insistent and she tastes and feels so good. It's not the same thing -- the way she holds him and takes her time exploring his mouth, he feels safe and so close to her, so different.

He’s never going to be completely rid of what happened to him, but the more time he spends with her, and the longer he lets himself discover what something real could be; When he peppers kisses over her collarbone and her sweet giggles fill his ears, he feels clean. 

He could do it. With her, he thinks he could do it. He lets his hands wander around her body, fulfilling his desire for everything that is her and there is absolutely no way he'll think about Geraldine if Veronica keeps kissing him like this.

He doesn’t know how long they’ve been doing this, he loses track of time when she whispers his name between her sweet kisses, but his warm feeling of home is destroyed when she hums frantically against his mouth and pushes him off of her. 

At first he’s worried he’s done something to upset her but when he sees she's staring at her watch he understands it’s not him. 

“Oh my god, it’s been over an hour, Consuelo does bed check in 5,” she sighs sadly, running a hand through her hair, handing his jacket back to him.

“I didn’t know she does that,” he says, watching her fix her lipstick in the mirror and straighten her cheerleading top.

“Only since she caught me walking out of the guest bedroom after you left the other day,” she smirks. “Goodnight.” Their smiles meet one last time for a kiss that turns into two and then three before she rushes out of the truck and into the building, knowing if she lingers any longer she won’t ever leave.

“Goodnight, Ronnie,” he whispers, eyes never leaving her until she’s no longer in view.


	4. Chapter 38 - Photo Albums

After a quite satisfying stay at the Five Season’s, Veronica and Archie return to the Andrews’ household for the remaining day of their winter vacation. Though having spent a day running errands with him, she’s almost a little glad to find some more time with Fred. 

Even before she knew about Archie’s past, she had always been adamant about wanting his parents to like her, she knows Mary and Jeff but this week has been the only time she’s really gotten to talk to Fred. She’s trying to present herself as a good girl and she thinks she’s doing a good job. 

Other than the part of the trip where she whisked Archie off to a hotel so they could make up for lost time without having to worry about rusty bed springs or nosey golden retrievers. 

She loves Vegas and Fred, but they got their time with Archie earlier this holiday season and now it was her turn.

She wonders how scary this would’ve felt a few months ago, just being alone in the same room as her boyfriend’s father, while said boyfriend helps an elderly neighbor shovel the snow out of their driveway. 

It’s so domestic, and a bit intimidating too to be surrounded by all of these genuinely good people, but for maybe the first time in her life she’s not thinking about mental factors. She’s just happy.

“Oh. My. God.”

Veronica has been saying that phrase nonstop ever since Fred brought out his collection of big dusty stacks of photo albums, utilizing the time with his son out of the house to embarrass him like a parent should. Her camera is filling up with all the photos she’s taking of Archie throughout the years. 

Baby Archie in the bathtub, bubbles sitting atop his newly grown red locks and his adorable ears sticking out even then. 

Archie on his skateboard, giving whoever’s taking the photo a thumbs up with a big smile that’s missing a few teeth. 

A more recent photo of her boyfriend with bandages all over his cheeks, trying to hide his face from the camera, a disposable razor and shaving cream in the background.

And her personal favorite, a very young Archie Andrews with much too big headphones on his little head, listening to a vinyl and trying to play along on a guitar bigger than he is. His eyebrows are furrowed as he focuses seriously on the task at hand.

“And this one is from when he broke his arm, the first time-” Fred begins, pointing to a photo of the redhead showing off his blue cast (one of many blue casts she’s seen him sport throughout these photos), when the front door opens and shuts.

“Hey, what’re you guys- Dad! No!” Archie whines as soon as he sees the photo albums stacked on the coffee table and Veronica taking photos of his former self.

“Archiekins, you were so cute!” she squeals, smiling up at him excitedly. He clearly thinks otherwise as he takes the photos from her lap.

“No more,” he insists, holding the album above his head when she stands up to try and take it from his grasp. 

“Stop it! Let me have fun!” she pouts, ineffectively jumping in her ever fashionable outfit complete with her leggings and one of Archie’s many blue shirts. All he does is laugh, apparently finding her distaste pleasant.

“Okay, now get together, you two. I need some more photos of Archie during his senior year,” Fred insists, taking out his phone. She’s immediately enveloped in Archie’s arms around, pulling her back into his chest and resting his chin on the top of her head.

After she hears the camera click she snatches the album from his hands, which was previously clutched against her stomach, and sprints up the stairs as fast as she can while looking at the photos. He’s hot on her trail, Fred laughing at their antics in the background, but she can’t help but fawn over the adorable kid in front of her.

“Oh my god- I found naked bath time photos! Oh my god you were so chubby!”

“Veronica those better not get posted anywhere!”


	5. Chapter 39 - Hot Chocolate

There’s something very _thrilling_ about owning his own car. It’s not Jeff’s truck or his dad’s rusty tin can, it’s _his_ car. And there’s something very sexy about knowing he has a girlfriend he can enjoy the car with.

And apparently Veronica thinks so too, as she used that same adjective to describe the fact they can go anywhere they want, anytime they want, and do anything they want. She then went on to kiss and play with his ‘adorable’ burning red ears until he suggested they leave before Consuelo came all the way down here with the vacuum.

But honestly, above everything else, the fact he can call Veronica his girlfriend is the best part of it all. When he opened the car door for her, he kissed her. On the sidewalk. In plain sight. _Because that’s something he can do now._ He feels like he’s on Cloud 9.

He’s never had a girlfriend before, not really. It’s different from anything he’s ever experienced: he can talk to her and she’ll listen, he can kiss her and she’ll kiss him like she wants him just as much, he can hold her just because he missed her.

“Go,” she teases, pushing him away and discreetly hiding her blush while the car behind them honks at him to go since the light turned green a long time ago. He can’t help it, he thinks to himself, lipstick surely smeared all over his mouth. She’s his _girlfriend_.

Once driving and kissing all around Chicago’s icy roadways becomes boring (which honestly takes a while), they stop at one of Veronica’s favorite cafés in the city. He practically forces her to sit down so he can order and pay for their drinks, letting her know her credit card is not wanted here and that he wants to treat her.

He sits across from her, holding her hand from across the table sitting in silence and not breaking their butterfly inducing eye contact until the waiter brings them their hot chocolates. It’s possibly the warmest he’s ever felt in his life.

He rests his chin on the heel of his hand and just watches her. He admires the way her lips curve around the mug, and the crimson mark makes the porcelain that much better. His favorite cups are ones with her lipstick stain. He likes the way the steam rises in curls and contrasts against her tan skin.

Something outside the frosty window catches her eye and he takes the moment to take a picture, and he posts it because she’s beautiful and because he can. She’s his girlfriend.

“You’re perfect,” he whispers, barely catching her attention and breaks her stare into space.

“Hm? Sorry, what?”

“I said you’re perfect,” he chuckles, kissing her knuckles. He likes the way he can make her blush, because when he first met her that was definitely not something anyone could do easily. It makes him smile, because she really is perfect and she doesn’t even know it.

She might be having one of the best days of her life, and it’s weird because she consciously knows it while it’s still happening. It’s unusual for her to feel this way while with someone, when she was Reggie or even the few flings before him she never felt this strong desire to constantly want them close to her.

And it makes her heart ache even more when it’s clear he feels the same, how he always keeps a hand on her, making her that much more aware he’s real.

At some point he decides he doesn’t like being this far away from her and moves his chair so that he can tuck her into his side. She smiles into his neck, pressing soft kisses up and down his skin. She doesn't care if anyone sees or judges her, he’s her _boyfriend_.

“You’re quiet today,” he whispers, squeezing her shoulder lightly and rubbing his thumb over the smooth material of her sweater. She thinks back to when she said that to him, right before their final ‘hot memory’ pre Archie’s little ultimatum. So much has changed since then.

“Don’t have anything to say. I’m just happy,” she giggles, nipping at the hinge of his jaw lightly. She keeps her hand under his jacket but above his shirt, maybe it’s a bit forward for a tiny coffee shop in the middle of the day but she can’t help it. She’s pretty much obsessed with this boy.

She keeps at it, softly kissing whatever skin she can reach while he drinks both of their hot chocolates, until he cradles her jaw and rests his forehead against hers, “I think we should go before I owe the barista an even bigger tip for keeping a blind eye,” he laughs, kissing her nose. She crinkles it, mostly on reflex but also because she likes the way he smiles when she does.

“My parents won’t be back until Monday, wanna come over? We can even stop to buy Consuelo Swiss chocolate if you want,” she teases as he helps her into her coat.

“I don’t think we need to, I’m your boyfriend after all, she should be expecting this,” he grins at her, holding her hand on the way back to the car.

“Yep. You’ve been promoted from ‘boy I barely know that I hijacked at a party and smuggled into my bedroom’,” she grins, squeezing his hand and watching him laugh. It’s her favorite laugh.

“It’s great to be appreciated.”

When they get back to the Pembrooke, Consuelo doesn’t say anything to them but rather aggressively glares at Archie as she polishes the silverware. Veronica can’t help but laugh at his terrified face and whisper, “Just be glad she’s holding a spoon, not a cleaver.”

He looks at her even more scared before she drags him off to her bedroom. She has one more night in her bubble that only the two of them live in, and she definitely plans to make the most of it.


	6. Chapter 20 - Rain

He’s never been too good with _scents_ but he’s fairly certain he’s smelling vanilla and something floral. He doesn’t know how long they’ve been hugging, he just knows he doesn’t want to ever let go. 

The rain is falling all around them, save for the little marquee granting them shelter but also leaving them stranded from getting back inside. He thinks there could be worse reasons to be late to class.

When they do let go, he makes sure to let her keep resting her feet on his calves, after all the rain did ruin her heels and he doesn’t imagine she’d enjoy putting her feet on the concrete. But he makes a gentlemanly effort to make them wearable again (at least until she can get to her cheer bag) with some napkins while they wait for the rain to clear.

He can’t help but sulk, thinking about the last couple days even now. How _fucking hard_ it was to even just go to school today. He’s just… At this point, he’s just so _sad_. And he doesn’t know how to make it stop.

“I can’t believe you left me on read.”

He looks at her quizzically, noticing her staring at him all of a sudden like a scorned woman with her eyebrow high and sharp. “What?”

“Me, Veronica Cecilia Lodge, being left on read by a damn _guero_.”

“What’s that?”

“A damn white boy that’s what's that,” she says matter of factly, looking him and down.

He laughs, pressing his hand over his eyes. He doesn’t know a lick of Spanish, he barely knows French and he’s been taking the class for all of high school, but even an insult sounds nice when she says it.

“I’m sorry, I promise I won’t leave you on read again,” he assures her.

“You should make a statement,” she insists. “I, Archie Andrews, promise that I will never leave you, Veronica Lodge, on read again, because it was such a jerk move.” She states very professionally and looks to him, waiting.

He repeats what she says, raising his right hand for more effect before she decides she’s satisfied enough with his response.

When there finally is a break in the rain it’s too late to go to class, so abandoning their lunch trays in their safe haven, she tells him to follow her. He’s not sure what they’re gonna do in the meantime, but then despite his blushing protests he’s dragged into the girl’s bathroom.

“Veronica, I can’t be in here!” he says in something between a laugh and panicked whisper.

“Oh please, not to toot my own horn but my social connections in this place are crazy. High school social hierarchy. I’m like an empress, and my kingdom extends to this lady's room so I’d say you're safe.”

“Did you just call yourself the most popular girl in school? Don’t let Cheryl hear that,” he teases, dropping his backpack against the wall.

“Sit down, Andrews,” she rolls her eyes, gesturing to the floor under the hand dryer. “It seems your hair and my shoes took the worst hit so since you so gallantly helped with my heels let me return the favor.”

He knows she’s not going to take no for an answer so he sits and she stands beside him can’t seem to get the right angle to do anything effective. So then rather forwardly she gets on her knees, one of her legs between his, as she runs her fingers through his hair under the hand dryer.

He’s much too aware how close her chest is to his face.

“Do you use conditioner? Please don’t say it’s a 2 in 1. Or worse, 3 in 1,” she says worriedly, glancing down at him.

“Uh, I don’t know I use whatever my mom buys me,” he laughs, determinedly keeping his eyes closed. The warm air feels nice, but this might be his new favorite feeling, her fingers in his hair. He savors it as he knows he won’t be feeling so light and fluffy again any time soon.

“Self care never hurt anybody, Archiekins,” she begins to say but then loses her stance, and begins to fall sideways before he steadies her with his hands on her waist.

Her blouse is soft under his fingers, and he can feel how the damp fabric sticks to her curves. He feels like such a creep for how much he likes touching her, and that sounds even worse but, god. She’s beautiful. 

They both get very quiet, and he cautiously notices her reddish cheeks before she quickly stands up. 

“I’d say that’s the driest it’s gonna get,” she quickly says, dusting off her knees and busying herself with fixing her hair in the mirror.

“Thanks, Ronnie,” he stands up too and runs a hand through his hair, disappointed how it just feels like it always does. And not like the prettiest girl in the world on top of him, drying his hair because she was nice enough to leave a crowded space with him, to text him when he went MIA, to _care._

“Um, I have your sweatshirt in my bag. From Halloween, it might be more warmer than the one you're wearing,” she says, starting to open her backpack but he stops her.

“Keep it, you might need it if it starts raining again.”

She mumbles something like thank you but he can’t quite make out what she said. And for the second time that day, she winds her arms around his neck and holds him close. She doesn’t smell that much like her perfume anymore, to be honest, she smells a bit like him.

“I know you said you’re figuring stuff out, and that you’re okay but seriously. Talk to me, if you want to. I don’t… I _want_ to help, I don’t like seeing you so not yourself.”

In his short, almost barely existent love life, that might be the most real and romantic thing anyone’s ever said to him. Even if she is just a friend, no matter what Veronica Lodge will always represent something else in his heart. Something good, and something normal. Something he doesn’t look back on with a sour feeling in his stomach.

“Thank you. For, y’know, everything,” he chuckles, pulling away slowly. She’s watching him very carefully, and he takes out his phone to open their chat and quickly sends a smiley face emoji.

“Don’t leave me on read,” he teases, smiling before turning around and ducking out the door, not sure what he would say if anyone asked him _why_ he was in there. He doesn’t want to have to explain for a second time why he was somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be with Veronica Lodge.


	7. Chapter 29 - Morning Meetings

He tells Kevin he can’t ride the bus with him today because he has to retake a Geometry test, but the real reason he woke up extra early to start his everyday routine was so he could meet Veronica before school. 

Northside’s school garden wasn’t necessarily a garden per say, more a collection of trees, bushes, and ivy oddly situated next to one of the corners of the building. The best part, something Veronica showed him, was a little spot nestled behind a tree that was out of sight of an initial glance. The gardens are also convenient for them because it’s getting too cold for anyone to want to spend time outside.

She’s there first, looking at something on her phone and absentmindedly biting her lip. She looks good today, she has on a scarf and now that he thinks about it that might’ve been a good idea for him too, but he supposes he’ll just have to keep his jacket on all day so the collar hides any hickeys peeking out from under his henley. He walks as fast as he can without sprinting to reach her. 

“Good morning,” he grins, completely hypnotized by the way her beautiful brown eyes light up when they meet his. She giggles quietly before winding her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply, letting his tongue meet hers as she carefully walks them back to the hidden corner of the gardens.

He lets out a grunt when she presses him against the wall and moves her lips to his neck.

“Hello to you too,” he teases and feels her laugh against the skin of his neck. 

“Stop being cute, I’m trying to work here,” she complains, gloved hands sneaking underneath the hem of his shirt to touch his warm skin. He smiles even wider, guiding her face from his neck and brushing the hair from her forehead.

“I missed you,” he whispers, kissing her nose and feeling those inescapable butterflies flutter in his stomach when she wrinkles her nose the way she always does. 

“You saw me yesterday… but I missed you too,” is her only point of rebuttal as he flips their position, pinning her against the brick and kissing along her jaw. 

“Stop being cute, I’m working,” he whispers with a smirk before biting down softly on her ear. 

They were both very eager for this secret meeting, after all that happened over Thanksgiving break ( _ twice _ ), it’s safe to say neither of them are willing to keep their hands to themselves. Waking up next to her, kissing her, holding her hand… He feels like he’s on a serious high he hopes never ends.

He doesn’t realize so much time is passing as they roll around against the wall, kissing and touching but hearing her groan against his lips (one different from others he usually elicits from her) he can tell their little time slot is up.

“No,” he complains and cups her face into another kiss, hoping to distract her but they both know they have to get to class. He thinks it works, until she places her hands on his chest and keeps him against the wall, maintaining a foot of distance between them.

“I have to go-”

“Just stay with me, no one will notice.” He’s pleading desperately now, just needing five more minutes. Then five after that. Then maybe another five. He can’t help it, all he wants is just more uninterrupted time with her.

She lets him kiss her a few moments more before softly nipping his bottom lip and turning on her heel to walk away quickly, knowing if she doesn’t she probably will give in and stay with him until the cold becomes too much.

She stops in the bathroom before heading to her locker to touch up her lipstick in peace, on the off chance Kevin bombards her with new gossip as is a common occurrence. 

The past week has been… exceptional. She’s not sure what she would call Archie. Maybe too soon for the word boyfriend, but his importance exceeds that of friend with benefits. He’s also receiving many more benefits than a bed buddy of hers could ever receive. It’s all just been so amazingly perfect, in their own little bubble of intimate conversations and spending time the way no one could ever comprehend what it’s like to feel little sparks every time they kiss. 

And it’s been less than a week since their first time, but she still can’t get it out of her head. How careful he touched her, how he looked at her with so much desire, how he asked her multiple times if she’s sure this is what she wanted as if the fact it was  _ him _ wasn’t reason enough. 

It was an odd experience sort of, mostly because anytime she’d have sex with Reggie - while he was always a gentleman - it wasn’t like with Archie how she in the moment just  _ needed _ him more than anything else in her life. It made her giddy.

All throughout her first class she can’t pay attention because she tries to think of something she can text him, something she can say without sounding like a 13 year old who just held hands with a boy for the first time.

“What’s with the smile?” Josie asks, looking to her from her desk and raising an eyebrow at the subconscious stupid grin on her face.

“Nothing-” she quickly replaces it with her resting face but apparently not fast enough for their teacher.

“Miss Lodge, Miss McCoy, I’m sorry my teaching is interrupting your conversation, anything you’d like to share with class?”

_ Just that the cutest boy in Chicago is mine and no one has the slightest idea. _

“No, ma’am.”


	8. Chapter 31 - Drunk

She’s still mumbling incoherents about how much of a buzzkill he is when he carries her bridal style from the Lyft into the apartment. 

All he does is nod his head as she speaks, kissing her hairline and doing his best to keep her quiet until he can get her into his room, she’s gonna regret all that she drank when she wakes up in the morning. 

He manages to unlock the front door and close it quietly, which is quite an achievement considering he’s carrying Veronica’s half asleep body. He spots Jeff in the kitchen, burrowing in the pantry for a midnight snack. 

“I’m not gonna hover because I trust you, but remember your mom wants you on the couch tonight, buddy,” Jeff says in something slightly louder than a whisper, finding the box of cookies Mary doesn’t know about hidden behind cans of soup.

“I know, I’m just gonna get her into bed,” he promises and carefully maneuvers them into his bedroom, shutting the door with his foot. He sits her on his bed and is about to go search for some pajamas for the both of them when she’s suddenly conscious again and grabbing him by the loops of his pants.

“Fine, we’re here, now take this off…” she slurs, yanking at his belt and beginning to suck kisses on his lower stomach as she pushes his shirt out of her way.

“Oh my god, Veronica!” he whisper-shouts, tugging her back to her feet and forcing her to sit on the bed. She lets out giggles and quiet gasps as he undresses her (with the most honorable intentions of course as she’s very clearly drunk) but makes multiple moves to try and take his clothes off as well.

“You’re mean,” she pouts, crossing her arms and fighting him from letting him put one of his shirts over her half naked body. 

She looks adorable squirming around in nothing but her underwear with her arms covering her naked chest, doing her very hardest to ensure something will happen tonight but nothing will, because he really is going to sleep on the couch.

“And you’re drunk off your ass,” he finally manages and gets the t-shirt on her. He abandons the step of trying to put some boxers on her too because she’s so fidgety he’s honestly scared she’s going to kick him in the face.

He does remember the make up wipes he saw in her things, since he’s seen his mother use them before, and he carefully wipes her face clean, deciding it was probably something she would do if she wasn’t intoxicated.

“Wanna know a secret?” she whispers sleepily. She’s barely doing anything to keep herself up, he keeps her upright with one arm and uses the other to clean her face, but her fingers do trail his jaw lazily.

“What is it?” 

“I forgot,” she giggles and taps his nose. Her eyes are barely open when he leans down to peck her cheek. He’s more than amused, knowing he’ll have lots of material to tease her about in the future.

Once he gets her settled under the covers, he folds her clothes the best he can before changing into something more comfortable himself. She’s completely passed out when he’s done, lightly snoring and looking so peaceful in his bed. 

He doesn’t stop himself from kneeling on the floor beside the bed and carefully brushing the hair from her face.

“Goodnight, babe,” he whispers, kissing her forehead. He grabs a pillow from his bed and steals one last infatuated glance at her before shutting the door and making his way to the couch.

There’s a stupid smile on his face as he lays down and pulls a blanket over himself. As far as nights out in Chicago go, he thinks tonight may just have been the greatest ever. Not that it has much competition, black eyes and sadness inducing kisses aren’t too hard to beat, but still, tonight was amazing.

The way they danced, how they kissed under the strobing lights. Honestly a lot of tonight would normally be a bit out of his comfort zone but it felt really good to just have fun and do something normal teenagers do without thinking about any of the things that make him not normal. 

But he’s working through everything and he’s starting to believe it will get better, and tonight was just further proof of that. And having Veronica around just makes it all greater, even if only he knows she’s with him, the fact she is with him is enough. Because truthfully she’s perfect. From her flawless curls to her tan legs and how she always says the right thing at any given time. 

It’s all just unbelievable that out of every guy in Chicago she’s sleeping in his bed, god even just the fact she knows he exists is insane. Since he first saw her that day, walking into her building, she has brutally and unintentionally captivated his mind and he hasn’t been totally free of her in his thoughts since. 

He’s been feeling a weird high since they started this, his head always very airy but something keeping him from floating away at the same time. 

It’s the type of feeling people write pages about, the feeling people go crazy over. 

I can’t stop thinking about her, he thinks to himself while his hand drifts under his shirt, hesitantly grazing his fingertips across the places she kissed before he shut down her drunken agenda. 

Visions and memories of her mouth and her eyes dance through his head like something all consuming and before he can really process what he’s just done to himself, he’s on his feet and begrudgingly making the walk to the bathroom.

He needs a cold shower.


End file.
